moonspinner55
Sidney Poitier walks through role as San Francisco police lieutenant Virgil Tibbs in this second sequel to 1968's "In the Heat of the Night", following "They Call Me Mister Tibbs!" from the previous year. Plot, however, is engrossing and complicated as a multi-racial, anti-drug revolutionary group summons Tibbs to their hideout, hoping to take him into their confidence. They've just pulled off the elaborate robbery of four millions dollars' worth of heroin from the vault of a furniture-making company--unfortunately, they had to kidnap one of the top executives to get the vault open and, after they left, he was murdered. What the revolutionaries were planning to do with the heroin isn't really clear (if it's a shakedown of the drug syndicate they wanted, they'll need a lot more members!). Still, they manage to disrupt everyone involved in the acquisition of the smack, from the suit-and-tie organization in their skyscraper headquarters to their goons on the street to the furniture company's night watchman, who gets shot on his way to the station with Tibbs for questioning. Tibbs agrees to work with the group, which forces him to conceal his knowledge of information from his department as well as from the highly defensive chief of narcotics, whose superior just committed suicide. Poitier isn't convincing interacting with the vigilantes, nor with his superiors, nor with wife Barbara McNair and their two kids; it's a dud performance. The colorful supporting cast of character actors (Raul Julia, Allen Garfield, Bernie Hamilton, Billy "Green" Bush, Dan Travanty, Sheree North, Ron O'Neal, Maxwell Gail Jr.) nearly makes up for the star's lethargy, and the San Francisco locations are an asset. Director Don Medford keeps the scenario busy, but it's activity without a lot of gripping action, the chases and shoot-outs coming right off an assembly-line. ** from ****
bkoganbing
Sidney Poitier for the third and last time essayed his Virgil Tibbs character in The Organization. It's definitely one film for the paranoid.There's a robbery/homicide at a furniture warehouse factory outlet in San Francisco. Problem is that those who committed the robbery didn't necessarily do the homicide. But Virgil Tibbs is known as an honest cop far and wide and when the robbers contact him with their story, he's real interested. The outlet was an organized crime front and what was taken and not reported was five million dollars worth of heroin. If he's willing to work with them, maybe we can take down The Organization.But The Organization is very resourceful indeed and Poitier has to watch his back 24/7 because he doesn't know who he can trust in the San Francisco PD. The film does have a real cop feel for it because guys like Garry Walberg, Daniel J. Travanti, Bernie Hamilton, and Gerald S. O'Loughlin who all played prominent TV cops are all in the San Francisco PD with Sid.The robbers are a group of Seventies Revolutionaries and have such diverse folks as Lani Miyazaki, Ron O'Neal, Billy Green Bush and heading the curious crew is a young Raul Julia. Poitier is right, these people have every reason to be concerned.The key to the whole thing is widow Sheree North who will either be rich or dead depending on how she plays it. Sheree is great as always.Poitier as in They Call Me, MISTER TIBBS is married to Barbara McNair. Funny though, when Virgil Tibbs as Howard Rollins decided to go back to work for the Sparta, PD his wife became Althea instead of Valerie which she is in both of these films.The ending shows that the effort might not have been worth it after all. The Organization is EVERYWHERE.
lastliberal
We first met Virgil Tibbs waiting for a train in Sparta Mississippi In the Heat of the Night. For those that didn't know, he reminded us in They Call Me MISTER Tibbs. Now, he had his badge taken away after no keeping his Captain informed as he fought The Organization in San Francisco.Maybe the hippie thing is getting tired: calling police "pigs," and the weird dress, and constant "man"'s, or maybe Tibbs is getting tired, but this was just a fair viewing of Sidney Potier as Virgil Tibbs.Well, at least he is still married to the same woman (Barbara McNair), and I always like seeing Raul Julia (Moon Over Parador, Kiss of the Spider Woman), there is "Superfly" (Ron O'Neal), Daniel J. Travanti when he was Dan Travanty, and Max Gail, whom I remember from "Barney Miller." Sidney Potier is always worth watching and you might have an additional favorite above.
chinaskee
From its suspenseful opening heist scene to its realistic ending,Sidney Poitier's third and final outing as Vigil Tibbs is everything a cop movie should be.Well cast with some great chase scenes.Director Don Medford keeps the fun rolling along at a nice pace.All in all,a great film.
AD
